Men's Basketball Signs 9-year-old Snyder via Team IMPACT
12/29/2020 3:33:00 PM | Men's Basketball
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (Dec. 29, 2020) - Head coach Mark Turgeon and the Maryland men's basketball team officially signed 9-year-old Ben Snyder to the program via Team IMPACT, an organization that pairs children facing serious and chronic illnesses with college programs.
"Ben and his mother, Cheri, have been through a lot over the last year and we are so happy to welcome them to our team," Turgeon said. "He's going to fit right into our program. Ben's a fighter with an incredible outlook on life and it's really inspiring for our players to be in the presence of a young man like Ben who has been through so much and continues to be upbeat. We are appreciative of Team IMPACT for connecting us and look forward to building a fantastic relationship."
The entire team welcomed Ben to the program via Zoom on Christmas Day Friday evening following the Purdue game, with each player sharing a bit about themselves. At the end of the zoom, Turgeon surprised Ben with a personalized Maryland basketball jersey.
Senior Reese Mona and junior Jairus Hamilton will serve as the student-athlete liaisons for the team.
"It was really special to see Ben open his jersey and see his last name on the back," said Mona, who later facetimed Ben from the Kohl Center prior to the Wisconsin game Monday afternoon. "It really solidified him as a member of our team. It was a really special moment. I know Ben was excited and we might have been even more excited. It was an awesome experience getting to know him better."
"Ben is such a great young kid," Hamilton said. "He went through a lot of stuff last year but he's really strong and has a huge heart. He loves life and is just like any of us with his love for video games and sports. The word is he's a great Fortnite player, so we'll see!"
A native of Alexandria, Va., Ben caught a bacterial infection that traveled to his heart and destroyed his aortic valve last December. Ben went through many ups and downs as his body fought to recover from infections and multiple open heart surgeries. Ultimately he needed to have a heart transplant. Ben progressed quickly after transplant, regaining his strength and mobility incredibly quick. On January 9th, he will officially be 1 year post-transplant.
Ben loves being active, and has been a Black Belt in Tae Kwon Do since he was seven. He recently earned his First Dan Levels 2 and 3.
ABOUT TEAM IMPACT
Team IMPACT has matched over 1,900 children with more than 600 colleges and universities across 48 states, forming lifelong bonds.
Throughout the journey with Team IMPACT, all of the participating children gain strength, camaraderie and support while the student-athletes experience lessons of courage, resiliency and perspective, which cannot be taught in the classroom.
For more information on the Team IMPACT project, visit the organizations website at www.goteamimpact.org.
